Milking machine



Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNTED STATES @PATENT OFFICE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in milkingmachines in which an intermittentv suc `tion and release action is produced in the teat- @UDS- The -main object of this invention is to provide a milkingrmachine with a durable, simple and economically constructed timer mechanism for automatically causing an intermittent suction and release action in the teat-cups.

lAnother object is to utilize the vacuum adapt- Aedito produce a suction action in the teat-cups :for actuating the timer means.

Stillanother object is to provide a milking machine ofthe above-mentioned type With a simply operated and constructed valve mechanismassociated with the teat-cups for permitting the communication between said cups and suc- Ltionfproducing means to be `manually controlled. .Without interfering `with the action of the timer mechanism.

f A; iurtherobjectis to provide means utilizing a-swinging bail for releasably locking the cover to uthefnail.

A still further object is to provide the pail cover With means for supporting the teat-cups.

Yet another object is to provide a cover for apail or other receptacle adapted to contain milk Witha suction timing device, the parts of which may be readily assembled or disassembled and `which may be easily maintained in a clean, sanitary condition.

rOtherobjects and advantages relating to the vstructure of the device and the form and the relation of the `parts thereof, will more readily appear from the following description, taken in connection kWith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure-1 Ais a perspective view of a milk pail or receptacle having a cover mounted thereon, embodying the various features of this invention.

1 Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View of vthe upper end of the pail and timing device takensubstantially in the plane of the line 2 2, Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on line 3 3, FigureZ.

-Figure 4 is a detail vertical transverse sectional vieW taken on line 4 4, Figure 2.

yFigures 5 Vand 6 are detail sectional views taken Vrespectively on lines 5 5 and 6 6, Figure 2.

Figure 7` is an enlarged detail sectional view of lthe valve mechanism for controlling the action of the vacuum in the pail upon the reciprocating v pistons.

Yof the headV 6.'

.Figure .8 `isa fragmentary sectional View talen on line -tFilgure 3i.

As illustratedin ,thedrawing the numeral I representsa vacuumpail which is provided "ith outwardly from thelcover'2 and has the Outifen'd thereof externally threaded for` the receptionff a cylinder headwhichis provided'With'anin- ,ternally .threaded 4opening 'I located in the cen tral portion ofthe end,f thereof and adaptedfto 2 0 receive the threaded .end ofthe cylinder 5 for removably; ysecuringjth'eA head to ,said cylinder. Theouter end Aportion of the head hasl an annu- :lar recess adapted to receive therein one end vof the cylindrical member` 8 vvhichwhas its other 25 .end closed by a cap 9 permanently secured theret to inanair-tight manner .by any suitable means. The cylinden is'removably' secured ,to the head E, and for this purpose, is provided with diametrically opposed TK-slots I0 `adjacent the openend go thereof: adapted to receivefa respectivelnwardly projecting pinor stud I I .securedv to the side Wall It will be obvious by referring to Figures 3 and 8` that when `the cylinder isso positioned 4:tljiat 35 the pins II will register in one or the other end of the respective slots I Ei, Ythe cylinder Will be secured by the pins to the head Ii and at the same time, the cylinder may be readily removed vfrom the head by rotating the cylinder to an inter- 4o mediate position with the leg portion of the slots Y' in alignment'withthe pinsf i' It may also be noted that with the pins I I registe-ring in one or the other end of the head portion of the slots I0, that a corresponding turning 45 motion may be produced on the cylinder Yheadfl through the medium ofthe cylinder!! for securing the head 6 to the lower cylinder poriorfthe removal of the head from said cylinder.

VIn order that the cylinder 8 may bereadily 5p manipulated to accomplish thesey results mentioned above, I have provided the cap 9 with an enlarged annular flange I3 which extends some distance beyond the adjacent side of the cylinder 8 so as to be adapted to be grasped.` .IhecapfS V55 y is also provided with a transverse centrally located wall or rib I4 which extends outwardly some distance from the outer face of the cap. A recess I5 is provided in the outer edge of the rib I4 so as to lie in the axis of the cylinder 8 and adapted to receive the central portion of the usual swinging bail I6 operably associated with the pail I.

The outer edge of the rib I4 is curved downwardly from one side of the recess I5 to form a cam surface I8 over which the bail I6 may be forced in its movement to and from the recess, while the edge of the rib at the opposite side of the rece-ss is elevated slightly above the recess t form a stop I9 for preventing the bail being carried past the recess. The relation of the recess I and the axis of the bail I6 is such that when the bail is swung to its intermediate position over the pail and into engagement with said recess, the cover will be locked to the pail under suiiicient pressure to form and maintain an air-tight connection between the pail and cover.

The cylinder member 5 is provided with a laterally disposed nipple which is connected to the claw 2I carrying the teat-cups 22 by means of iiexible tubing 23. The nipple 20 is so connected with the cylinder 5 that the opening from the nipple is spaced some distance from either end of the cylinder so as to be opened and closed by a piston valve 24 mounted in the interior chamber 25 of the cylinder 5 as the valve is recipro- `cated in the chamber for a purpose and in a manner presently described.

In the cylinder 8 is slidably mounted a piston 21 which preferably includes a flexible disk 28 adapted to have an air-tight contact with the wall of the cylinder 8.

The piston 21 is provided with a hollow piston rod 3!) which, in this instance, has its outer end iixedly secured by threaded engagement or otherwise to a timer valve 3I positioned in the cylinder 8 between the piston 2'I and the head 6. This timer valve also has the piston valve 24 removably connected therewith, and for this purpose, the valve 24 is provided with a hollow stem 32 which has the outer end thereof externally threaded for 'engagement with an internally threaded recess provided in the lower face of the valve member 3I.

The valve stem 32 is provided with opposed at surfaces 33 adapted to receive a wrench to facilitate securing the piston valve to the timer valve 3I and the removal of said valve therefrom. The timer valve 3I is comprised, in this instance, of a body consisting of a substantially rectangular plate 35 which has the longitudinal edges provided with inwardly extending openings 36 and 31 in communication with the central openings 38 and 39 provided in the piston rod 30 and valve stem 32 respectively. These openings 36 and 31 terminate in spaced relation within the plate 35 .and are provided with respective lateral ports 4I] be employed and in this instance consists of a valve lever 43 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon a shouldered stud or screw 44 secured to the plate 35 at one side of the ports 46 and 4I.

The valve 42 is secured to one end of the lever 43, while the opposite end of the lever is yieldingly connected by a spring 45 to the inner end of a trip lever 46 which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends upon a shouldered screw 41 secured to the plate 35 at the opposite side of the ports 43 and 4I to that at which the pivot 44 is located. The free end of the trip lever 46, in this instance, extends outwardly through an elongated slot 48 provided in the wall of the cylinder 8 and the length of the slot is so related tc the movement of travel of the valve assembly consisting of l the piston 21, piston valve 24 and timer valve 3I that during the reciprocation ci the valve assembly, the inner end of the control lever 46 will be moved from a position at one side of the pivot 44 to a corresponding position at the opposite side s thereof due to the free end of the lever 46 engaging the ends of the slot 48 and thereby causing the valve 42 to be quickly moved or snapped from one position, bringing the ports 4I! and 4I into communication with each other to the other position 2 where one of said ports will be closed and the other port open to atmosphere.

The movement of the valve lever 43 in either direction is limited for maintaining the valve 42 in one or the ther of these positions in proper 3 relation with the ports and 4I by means of a pair of stop pins 56 positioned one at either side of the valve lever 43. The slot 48, in this instance, extends to the outer free end of the cylinder 8 to permit the valve assembly to be readily mount- 3 ed in the cylinder 8 and, therefore, the outer edge of the side wall of the head 6 is utilized to engage and actua-te the trip lever as the valve assembly approaches its lower or innermost position.

It will now be seen that when the valve 42 is in position to bring the ports 4G and 4I into communication with each other, that the chamber as 5I formed between the piston 2T and cap 9 in the cylinder S, will be connected with the interior of the pail so that any suction produced in the pail will exhaust the air from chamber 5I thereby producing an axial movement of the valve assembly towards the outer end of the cylinder 8.

It will also be observed that when the valve 42 is moved to the other limit of its movement, as illustrated by dottedY lines in Figure '7, the chamber 5I will be disconnected with the vacuum in the pail I and connected with the atmosphere in the lower portion of the cylinder 8 which will relieve the vacuum in the exhaust chamber 5I.

In order that the rate of flow of air drawn from the chamber 5I or admitted to said chamber through the port 40 and passages 36 and 38 may 60 be controlled, as required, I have provided a manually operated control valve 53 which consists of a screw member screw-threaded in the side of the piston rod 30 with the inner end of said screw p terminating in the passage 38.

Any suitable means for connecting the pail I with an air exhausting device may be utilized and which, in this instance, consists of a nipple 55 secured to the outer face of the cover 2, with the interior thereof extending through said cover and the flexible tubing 56 having one end mounted on the nipple 55 and the other end connected ywith a convenient vacuum-producing means, not

shown. The nipple 55 is secured to the cover in prox- 7 iin-ity tog-and at one side of the nipple 2i] secured to the cylinder V24 so that the tubing 23 :and the tubing 5,6 will lbe maintained at the same side .of the icover and thereby permit the free swinging,movement-of the bail I6 as the cover is sefcured ftosand released from the pail in the manner hereinbefore described.

The previously mentioned claw member .2i is of novel yconstruction in that it contains a manually operated valve .58 adapted to bring the teatcups 22 into and kout of communication with the `'pulsation orsuction timer mechanism. This claw member 2| consists 0f a cylindrical Ybody 59 havling one fend 60 reduced in diameter to receive the flexible tubing 23. To the upper surface of :the body 59 :is secured a pair of longitudinally :spaced nipples 65 which have the interior there- .of :in communication with the inner chamber Si of the Abody 59. These nipples 6l] extend equal distances either side of the body 59 for receiving one end Aof a flexible tubing 52 which has the `other -end connected with a respective teat-cup 22. These nipples 69 are, as shown more particularly in Figure 6, arcuate in longitudinal cross section, with the upper portion of each end there- -of beveled as at `63 so that when the cups are permitted to hang downwardly from the claw, the vopenings to the nipples will be closed due to the upper wall of the tubing 62 being drawn across said openings, as illustrated by f-ull lines `in Figure.

'The Vcommunication between the teat-cups 22 ,and the interior of the claw 2| may also be closed by the hereinbefore-mentioned valve 58 which,

' vin this instance, consists of an elongated body portion-65 adapted to extend inwardly from the open end of the claw body 459 beyond the inner positioned nipple. This valve body 65 is semi- ',circular in cross section, with the curved portion Y thereof of ,substantially the same radius as the inner chamber .5| of the lbody 59 so that when the 4curved portion of the valve is in the upper position or adjacent the nipple 60, the passage from the ychamber 6| to the nipples will be closed, and when the valve is in the reverse position, said Apassage will be opened.

The valve 58 extends outwardly beyond the fopen end of the .body 5.9 and is provided with an enlarged knurled head 66 which enables the ready operation of the valve. The rotary movement `vof the valve 58 is limited .by a stop pin .5l secured tothe :body 59 adjacent the open end thereof and iwhich extends inwardly into a semi-circular slot 5.8 provided in an enlarged annular shoulder 69 formed ,on the valve body padjacent the head 66. 'Ihis shouldered portion 69 of the valve is adapted to register in an enlarged annular recess a provided in the end of the body .59 and which serves to guide the valve during the rotation thereof.

The recess .S8 is positioned at the inner side of the shoulder '69 adjacent the head 65 and in .order that the valve may be readily removed from ,the body 15,9, the intermediate portion of the slot is provided with a lateral slot .7i which communi- .fcates vwith the inner edge of said shouldered portion.

The slot 63 is .of such a length and so related with .the curved portion of the valve 58 that Awhen the pin 6l is in registration with one end .ofnsaid slot, the lcurved portion of the valve will be maintained in position for closing the entrance `fromthe chamber to the nipples til, and when the valve is :rotated to bring the pin f6? into engagement with the opposite .end of the slot 63.,

said Valve willbe in the reverse-position for maintaining communication between the nipples 6,0 and the chamber 6 I.

' In order .to facilitate `handling the teat-cups :and prevent them coming in contact with the ground when the cover 2 is .being moved from one pail to another in the process of changing palle, or when carrying the pail with the cover thereon from lone location to another, I have provided a simply constructed support 13 for the teat-cups which is removably .attached to the cover. This support consists of a flat body portion 14 adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the cover :2 and has one end 'l5 bent ,at substantially right angles thereto and provided with an aperture adapted zto receive the nipple therethrough. The other end of the body 7M is :formed to produce a pai-r of laterally extending spaced prongs 16 adapted to receive the Ibody -59 of the claw member 2l .therebetween, as illustrated more clearly in Figures 2 and 5.

It may now be observed that with ,the `tubing 23 :removed from the nipple 20, the end `l5 of the support 13 rmay be -readily mounted on the nipple, with the body portion T14 thereof resting on the cover 2 Vand that the support will be :maintained in position by the tubing 423 when ,Said tube is mounted on the nipple 20. When the tubing 23 is mounted -on the nipple 2-0, the prongs "it will extend upwardly at opposite -sides of the tube vin position to receive the claw `21| therebetween, and when the claw 2l is mounted between the prongs 'l5 and with said prongs rextending upwardly between the nipples 60, the claw `will be prevented from `accidentally falling from the support, thereby maintaining .the cups `,out of contact with the ground.

It will be observed :by referring more particularly to Figures 2 and 4 that .I have Vprovided a suction timer mechanism for a milking machine apparatus which is readily assembled and disassembled for cleaning purposes and one which may be readily maintained in a clean, sanitary condition due to the fact that all sharp corners are eliminated, where there is any `possibility of these parts coming in contact with the milk, and that the device may operate with a maximum degree of efficiency, and cleanliness, I have provided the interior of the end :of the head S with an inclined surface 1.8 tapered inwardly and outwardly from the recess 'i to the outer edge of said head so that oil, dust Lor other foreign material which may collect upon the interior of the head 6 will gravitate outwardly towards the edge of said head, and that `such oil or material may escape from the interior .of the head, I have provided the end thereof vwith a plurality of circumferen-tially spaced apertures 1:9 adjacent the outer -edge of said inner surface.

AThe operation of the device is ,as follows:

W-hen the valve assembly, consisting .of :the lpiston valve 24, timer valve 3| and the piston 21, is in its lowermost position, the line .of communication between the nipples ,2H 4and the interior of the pail Y2 will be closed by the 'piston valve 24 due to said valve being located .beneath the inlet of the nipple 2U, withinthe vcylinder 5, and the exhaust chamber `5I in the cylinder l8 Twill be in communication with the interior of the .pail due to the valve 42 being'in position to -bring the ports di! and M into communication with each other.

It will now be observed that with a vacuumfin the pail .i produced by the tube 5B :beingconnested with a suitable airtexhausting device, .that

the air in the chamber I will be drawn downwardly through the passages 38, 36 through the port 40, valve 42 and port 4I and thence out through the passages 31 and 38 into said pail, with the result that the vacuum thus produced in the chamber 5I as it approaches the value oi the vacuum in the pail 2, will overcome the action of the vacuum upon the lower end of the piston valve 24, due to the larger area of the piston 21 therey causing the valve assembly to move upwardly into the chamber 5I. As the piston valve 24 is thus carried upwardly, the opening to the nipple 20 will first be closed by said valve, after which, as the valve 24 continues its upward movement, said nipple will be brought into communication with the interior of the pail I as said opening is uncovered, bringing the teat-cups connected with the nipple 2G under the influence of the vacuum in the pail I, causing milk to flow from the teat-cups through the tube 23, nipple 20 and lower portion of the chamber 25 of the cylinder' 5 into the pail.

As the valve assembly approaches its uppermost position, the valve 42 will be snapped to the lowermost position, due to the trip lever 46 coming in contact with the upper end of the slot 48. This movement of the valve 42 will close the port 4I and open the port lll to atmosphere, thereby relieving the vacuum in the exhaust chamber 5I and causing said valve assembly to be returned to its lower position due to the action of the vacuum in the pail I upon the lower end of the piston valve 24.

As the valve assembly begins its downward movement, the opening from the nipple 29 will first be closed by the piston valve 24 cutting off the action of the vacuum in the pail upon the teat-cups 22. As the piston valve 24 passes the opening, the teat-cups will be brought into communication with the outside atmosphere which is contained in the upper end of the piston chamber 25 and the interior of the cylinder 8.

As the valve assembly approaches its lowermost position, the valve 42 will again be quickly moved to its operative position over the ports 40 and 4I for bringing said ports into communication with each other due to the trip lever 46 coming in Contact with the cylinder head 6, thereby bringing the exhaust chamber 5I into communication with the interior of the pail I for causing the valve assembly to begin its reverse or outward movement.

These cycles of operation may continue as long as vacuum is produced in the pail I to intermittently bring the teat-cups into communication with the vacuum in the interior of the pail I or with the outside atmosphere through the medium of the suction timing mechanism.

If, however, it is desired to cut off the communication between the teat-cups and the vacuum in the pail without discontinuing the operation of the timing mechanism, this may readily be accomplished by manually manipulating the valve 58 for closing the openings to the nipples 60 in the manner previously described, and the communication between the teat-cups and the vacuum in the pail may again be established when desired by the reverse movement of the valve 58.

It is now obvious that I have produced a vacuum or pressure operated suction timer mechanism which is simple in construction and operation, which may be readily assembled or disassembled and which may be readily maintained in a clean sanitary condition. Although I have shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of this invention, I do not wish to be limited to the exact construction shown, as various changes in the form and the relation of the parts thereof may readily be made Without 5 departing from the spirit of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a milking machine, the combination with a vacuum pail including a, removable cover, and means connecting the pail with an air exhaust y device, of a valve casing mounted on the cover having piston chambers of unequal cross-sectional area, one of said chambers exhausting through said cover, and having a port Iadapted to be connected with a set of teat-cups and a reciprocating timer valve member mounted in said chambers consisting of a piston operably mounted in each chamber and tubular means operably connecting said pistons, one of said pistons being adapted to control the communication of the cups with said chamber for alternately bringing the cups into communication with the interior of the pail and with the outside atmosphere, and a valve mechanism carried by the pistons for controlling the passage through said tubular member whereby said pistons will be caused to be reciprocated by the action of the vacuum in the pail.

2. A pressure operated timing mechanism comprising a pair of cylinders of unequal diameters,

a piston slidably mounted in each cylinder, fluidconveying means connecting said pistons in fixed relation, separate conveying means connecting the smaller cylinder with a vacuum-producing mechanism, and a snap valve connected with the mst-mentioned conveying means and Iadapted to engage the wall of one of said cylinders for alternately connecting the larger cylinder with said vacuum and with the atmosphere to effect a, reciprocating movement of said pistons.

3. A pressure operated timing mechanism comprising a pair of cylinders of unequal diameters,

a piston slidably mounted in each cylinder, fluidconveying means connecting said pistons in fixed relation, separate conveying means connecting the smaller cylinder with a vacuum-producing mechanism, a snap valve associated with the first-mentioned conveying means and adapted to engage the wall of one of said cylinders for alternately connecting the larger cylinder with said vacuum and with the atmosphere to eiect a reciprocating movement of said pistons, and a manually controlled valve associated with the first-mentioned conveying means adapted to control the speed of the pistons.

4. In a. milking machine, the combination with a milk-receiving means, of a vacuum-operated hollow timer releasably connected to said milkreceiving means, said timer including reciprocating pistons of unequal cross-sectional area, Huid-conveying means connecting said pistons,

a, valve mounted on said fluid-conveying means, a valve lever connected with the valve, and a reversing lever yieldingly connected with said valve lever adapted to cause the manipulation of said valve during the operation of the pistons.

5. In a milking machine, a timing mechanism comprising a pair of opposed cylinders of unequal diameters, one of said cylinders being closed at its outer end, and means maintaining the outer end of the other cylinder at substantially constant partial vacuum, a piston slidably mounted in each cylinder, and huid-conveying means carried by the pistons for alternately connecting said closed cylinder with the vacuum in the other cylinder and with the atmosphere to effect a reciprocatory movement of said pistons.

6. In a milking machine, a receptacle having a vacuum chamber, a timer casing connected with said receptacle provided with a suction opening ladapted to be operably connected with a set of teat-cups, and an air inlet opening communicating with the atmosphere, a movable control element operable by difference in pressure upon opposite sides thereof in said casing adapted to alternately bring the suction opening into communication with said chamber and with the atmosphere opening to produce pulsations in the teat-cups, said element being provided with an air passage therethrough in communication with the vacuum chamber, and valve means associated with said passage and controlled by the movement of said member for alternately connecting said casing on one side of said member to said vacuum chamber .and to the air inlet opening for effecting the movement of the member.

7. In a milking machine, the combination with a, milk-receiving means adapted to be maintained at substantially constant vacuum, of a vacuum operated timer releasably connected to said milkreceving means comprising a pair of opposed cylinders of unequal diameters, means for continuously subjecting said smaller cylinder to the vacuum Within said milk-receiving means, a piston slidably mounted in each cylinder, and fluidconveying means carried by the pistons for alternately connecting the larger cylinder with the vacuum of the smaller cylinder and With the atmosphere to effect a reciprocatcry movement of said pistons.

8. In Ia milking machine, a timing mechanism comprising a pair of opposed cylinders of unequal diameters, a piston slidably mounted in each cylinder, means connecting the smaller cylinder permanently to a predetermined vacuum, and fluid-conveying means carried by said pistons and rendered effective by the movements thereof for intermittently establishing a vacuum in the larger cylinder and destroying said vacuum.

9. A pressure operated timing mechanism comprising a pair of cylinders of unequal diameters, one of said cylinders being closed at its outer end, means maintaining the outer end of the other cylinder at a partial vacuum, a piston slidably mounted in each cylinder, and means carried by the pistons and actuated by the movement thereof for alternately connecting said closed cylinder with the vacuum in the other cylinder and with the atmosphere to effect a reciprocatory movement of said pistons.

RALPH L. I-IINMAN. 

